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For those who are generally involved in tutoring and corporate training, accounting can be one of the hardest things to teach. With all of the complexities around providing detailed book-keeping, preparing for income tax and related issues, and learning to control new technology like spreadsheets, the accounting process is a complex one. When individual trainers tutor in introductory accounting, they need to tailor the class and program to the specific needs of an individual. This means bringing a skilled eye to the core processes of basic accounting and providing training in those topic areas. Here are some basic steps recommended by experienced trainers for tutoring basic accounting.

Steps

1

Figure out the basic proficiency of the student. One of the first steps in tutoring basic accounting is to correctly assess where the individual student is at and to figure out where that student needs to go. Make sure to include this ground-laying work before going on to practical lesson implementation.

Some initial diagnostic exams and quizzes, as well as course focus surveys, can be helpful in assisting a trainer who needs to gauge the level of a student interested in building accounting skills.

2

Form lesson plans. From the initial point where the student's level has been assessed, much of the work in building a tutor's basic accounting program involves detailing how, where and when a class will occur.

Schedule future course dates and hours. A major part of tutoring is scheduling the classes and arranging them to flow together. Plan a series of classes, set dates and fill them with a progressive set of lessons that will help the student gradually build an array of basic accounting skills.

Start to put together lesson plans. Come up with a rough draft of how classes will go and what they will cover. It may make sense to present a rough syllabus at the beginning of the program.

3

Flesh out lesson plans. As course dates approach, assemble the needed materials, as well as more in-depth props and resources for accounting "labs" or other hands-on activities.

Keep in mind some basic principles of tutoring. One of these is the value of diverse activities, where a "closed to open" approach makes sense. Students start out with some informational materials, advancing throughout the session to more open-ended implementation exercises where they will practically use what they have learned.

Build in exams and more diagnostic material. In order to provide benchmarks and see where the student is going, it's often helpful to contain more testing elements in courses.

4

Continue to provide tailored education. Build classes and sessions according to the unique skill level, interests and job role of a particular student.

Make sure that specific accounting modules are addressed within the class. Items like A/P, A/R, payroll and regulatory compliance are often part of a beginning accounting course. Keep these categories in focus when planning a variety of tutoring sessions.

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 7,281 times.